Drake and Future's 'What a Time to Be Alive' Headed for Huge Opening Week
Drake and Future’s mixtape What a Time to Be Alive is putting up big numbers in its first week. According to HITS Daily Double, the rappers’ joint project could sell as much as 500,000.
Drake premiered WATTBA on his OVO Sound Radio show Sunday night, right before it became available on Apple Music, and quickly shot to No. 1. The set will remain an Apple Music exclusive for one week before going to other retailers and Spotify.
Cash Money and Epic Records greenlit the release after Epic chairman L.A. Reid insisted that the mixtape be sold, as the company is still promoting Future’s DS2, which debuted at No. 1 in July.
Will Drake and Future be able to top the first-week sales of another powerful hip-hop duo, Kanye West and Jay Z? The latter’s 2011 album Watch the Throne sold 436,000 in its first week.
Drake has already released two “mixtapes” this year, including If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, which opened with 535,000 in February. And a third could be on the way. Insiders say a new Drake album (Views From the 6?) could arrive by the end of the year.
UPDATE: According to HITS, WATTBA is now looking to do 340-360k in sales and 380-400k with streams, but that number could increase.